Foreigner, Jethro Tull, Kansas and Styx Prep For Summer Tours

As the Sun begins to banish the bitter winter chill and eat away at the snow here in the northeast, the newswire continues to deliver word of more classic rock groups who are set to offer their U.S. fans another opportunity to catch them live.

Three classic rock powerhouses – Foreigner, Kansas, and Styx have teamed up for something they are calling the “United We Rock” tour. All three groups are well-known for their fair share of hit singles that blared from countless car stereos during the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Today, classic rock radio stations continue to pump out those same hits, keeping those classic favorites alive, and bringing a new generation of fans into the classic rock fold. Although the crowds at these up-coming shows will likely feature a good number of graying heads (for those of us who still have hair!), there are sure to be many fans who were not yet born when these groups were at the top of their game, and packing stadium-sized venues full of screaming fans.

Although only a handful of dates have been announced so far, the summer tour dubbed “United We Rock” is set to open on June 3rd in Kansas City. This one should be one of the top classic rock tickets of the summer. The tour heads west after the debut show to finish out the month of June, and more dates will be announced soon, including stops in Boston and Chicago.

A press release from the tour quotes Styx guitarist James “JY” Young as saying “These three bands represent the more rocking side of the classic rock genre. With the countless great rock songs each band will be performing, this is going to be a guitars-a-blazin’ good time had by all.”

British rock veterans Jethro Tull are said to be planning a new album in addition to a summer U.S. tour. Starting on June 11th in Miami, the tour will then take the group north to Boston, Chicago and Toronto, among others.

Tull’s plans for a new album will end an 11-year drought for the group, one that is remembered for iconic hits such as “Aqualung,” “Locomotive Breath,” and “Living In The Past.”

Regarding the new album, enduring frontman Ian Anderson says, “I have sent material over to America where the band are working on it. That’s kind of how it works these days but they seem to like what I am doing.”

No release date for the new material has yet been announced, but it is probably a bit too early in the process. Perhaps there’s a chance they will showcase a taste of their new work while on tour.

So far it looks like the summer of 2010 is looking pretty good for classic rock fans. It is probably reasonable to assume that more tour news is on the way. The market is obviously still hungry for the genre, and other recent reunion plans are bound to translate into more live shows for classic rock fans across North America.

More on these tours is available at Live Daily.

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Tags: Foreigner, Jethro Tull, Kansas, New Album, Styx, Summer 2010, Tours

Styx, REO Speedwagon, .38 Special Plan Summer Tour

Hoping to compete for the attention of classic rock fans this summer, three well-known groups are teaming up for what is being called a “budget-priced tour.” That’s good news for some concert goers who have to weigh their desire to see their favorite classic groups with the associated costs during tough economic times.

Concert tickets are not generally known for their bargain status these days, with some shows demanding $100 and up for good vantage points away from the far reaches of the nose-bleed sections.

The classic rock trio will start in Albuquerque, NM on May 13th and take them through 30 shows in 30 cities around the U.S. They will wrap up after two months on the road with a final performance in St. Louis on July 11th, making for a shorter outing than the recently-announced Def Leppard/Poison /Cheap Trick tour which starts a month later but does not conclude until September.

Ticket prices are said to be as low as the $13.50 range, with Styx veteran Tommy Shaw reporting that the low prices are “our own personal Rock ‘n’ Roll Stimulus package.”

As part if the lead-up to the summer tour, Shaw and REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin collaborated on a new single entitled “Can’t Stop Rockin’.” The new track is scheduled to start airing on radio stations sometime this month.

Cronin, speaking a little bit about the difficult and unusual times we are going through currently said, “The world is going through a weird phase, and everybody needs music now more than ever. We all need to join our friends, pool our resources, combine our energies, because there is power in people coming together. That spirit has brought REO and Styx together to write, record and tour together, and celebrate it all with the greatest fans in America.”

Some of that may be the typical hype you might hear from someone about to embark on a tour, but I think he makes a good point about the need for music and the power of people coming together. These are strange times, and it seems that family and friends may be the only things that can be counted upon these days, and music offers many fans an escape – if only temporary – from the madness we are seeing around us lately.

Tags: 2009, 38 Special, Can't Stop Rockin, REO Speedwagon, Single, Styx, Summer Tour